Washing machine



J. W. SOUTER WASHING MACHINE Sept. 29, 1925. 1,555,720

Filed May -19. 1924 Patented Sept. 29,

JOHN W. SOUTER, 0F GRINNELL, IOWA.

WASHING MACHINE. i

Application'filed May 19, 1924. SeriaLNo. 714,443.

To all 'w/ zomit may concern:

Be it known thatl, JOHN Source, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grinnell, in the county of Poweshiek and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the:

invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

My invention relates to improvements in washing machines of the type in which an open-topped clothes container is placed in a liquid tank, and a clothes plunger operates within the clothes container, the principal object of my invention being to provide a washing machine of this type in which a novel connection is provided be tween the clothes container and the plunger on the upward stroke of the latter, so as to vertically move said container and its contents, through the liquid in the tank. Thus, not only is the pressure and suction of the plunger utilized in the washing operation, but effective surging of the washing liquid is caused through the clothes, by the vertical movement of their container.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view partly in elevation of a washing machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are horizontal sectional views as indicated by lines 22 and 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a detail elevation partly in section, of the clothes container.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral 1 designates a vertically elongated liquid tank which is preferably provided with a removable cover 2 having a suitable handle 3 and a central opening 4;. Movably received in the tank 1 and of less height than said tank, is a container 5 for the clothes or other articles to be washed or possibly dyed. This container preferably comprises a continuous sheet metal wall 6 and a reticulate bottom 7, formed of screen wire or the like.

A clothes plunger 8 is operable within the container 5, said plunger preferably having an upstanding operating shank 9 passing slidably through the opening 4. and provided with a lateral hand-grip 10; i .No details of the plunger 8 are shown as it may be of any convenient or desired constructiomfor obtaining good results.

I provide means for establishing a connection between the plunger 8 and the container 5, upon the upward strokes of said. plunger, so that the .entire container and its contents will be moved vertically through i the washing liquid in. the tank 1.

In the preferred form of construction, the wall 6 is provided near its upper end with. a

plurality of openings 11, and detents 12are inwardly movable through these openings, into the upward path of the plunger 8. I have shown the detents 12 embodying spring arms 13 whose lower ends are secured at 14- to the outer side of the wall 6, said spring arms normally diverging upwardly from said wall 6, as shown in Fig. 1, so that when the container 5 is out of the tank 1, the detents 12 will be out of the path of the plunger 8. However, when the clothes and the plunger 8 are placed in the container 5 and the latter is then lowered into the tank 1, the spring arms 13 engage the wall of said tank and are thus forced inwardly as shown in Fig. 1 disposing'the detents 12 in operative position. Each detent and spring arm 13 embodied therewith, are preferably formed by bending a single strip of spring metal into substantially inverted Lsliape.

In operating the machine, any desired. saponaceous liquid or dye liquor may be placed in the tank 1 with the internal parts removed. or dyed are placed in the container 5, the

' plunger 8 is inserted into the upper end of said container. and the latter is lowered into the tank 1. As above set forth, as soon as the arms 13 encounter the wall of the tank 1, the detents 12 are projected inwardly to operative position. Upon depression of the ope-rating handle 10, the plunger 8 moves downwardly within the container 5, against the articles in said container, and upon its initial upward movement, said plunger exerts suction on such articles. remainder of its upward travel, the plunger 8 lifts the container 5, by engagement with the detent-s 12, and as soon as the plunger is again lowered, said container of course descends. Thus, by providing for reciprocation of the plunger within the clothes container and by also making provision for Then, the articles to be cleaned During the serted through this opening to rest on the cover 2 and suspend the container 6 in a draining position,

Excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, and they may therefore be followed if desired, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous modifications may be made.

I claim:

1. A washing machine comprising a liquid holdingtank, an article container for reception within said tank and of less height than the latter, said container comprising a bottom and a continuous side wall, at least one of which is of openwork construction, a plunger adapted for reciprocation in said article container, and a plurality of detents retracted when the container is removed a.

from the tank and embodying means adapted to engage the wall of said tank and proj ect said detents to operative positions, when the container is lowered into said tank.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; each of said detentsand its projecting means comprising a single strip of spring metal bent into substantially inverted Lshape, the vertical portion of said strip diverging outwardly with respect to the container wall and being secured at its lower end against the outer side of. said wall, the horizontal portion of said strip being engageable with the plunger. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JOHN w. SOUTER.

so I 

